A nationwide strike by airport workers in Germany has led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights, causing significant disruption for air travelers.

The strike, organized by the Verdi trade union, began unexpectedly on Sunday at Hamburg Airport before spreading across the country. Major airports, including Frankfurt, Munich, and Berlin, have advised passengers to avoid travel due to widespread operational disruptions. Frankfurt Airport, the busiest in Germany, warned that boarding and transfers would be severely impacted.

Verdi, which represents public sector and transport workers, is engaged in an ongoing wage dispute. Reports from German media indicate that thousands of flights could be affected throughout the day, potentially disrupting travel plans for over 500,000 passengers.

Lufthansa, headquartered in Frankfurt, confirmed widespread delays and cancellations across its network, while Munich Airport announced a drastically reduced flight schedule. In Hamburg, all 143 scheduled departures for Monday were already cancelled. Airport spokesperson Katja Bromm criticized the strike’s timing, calling it "excessive and unfair" for travelers at the start of the holiday season.

A Verdi spokesperson acknowledged the inconvenience but maintained that causing disruption was necessary to pressure employers into offering better wages.

At Frankfurt Airport, many of the 1,770 scheduled flights have already been cancelled, and Munich is expected to see the majority of its 820 flights grounded. Additional cancellations are expected at airports in Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, Cologne, and Berlin. Public broadcaster NDR reported that many passengers who had already checked in their luggage were struggling to retrieve it, while air traffic at Hanover Airport had come to a complete halt.

Beyond aviation, Verdi has also called for strikes in waste collection across several German cities, including Berlin, Essen, and Kiel, where garbage has remained uncollected since last week.

The union is demanding an 8% wage increase or at least €350 more per month for airport workers, along with improved bonuses and additional time off. Employers, however, argue that these demands are financially unsustainable.

Further strikes affecting facilities run by the federal government and local authorities are expected later this week, according to the DPA news agency. The next round of negotiations is scheduled for Friday in Potsdam.